The present invention relates to a recording control method for ejecting liquid onto a recording medium, to thus perform recording.
Some inkjet printers, being a type of recording apparatus, can perform so-called marginless recording for effecting recording on at least one of the sides of a recording sheet, serving as a recording medium, without leaving a margin. An inkjet printer of such a type includes a recording head having a plurality of nozzle arrays through which ink droplets are ejected onto a recording sheet; a platen for supporting the recording sheet and regulating the position of the recording sheet in relation to the recording head; and a waste ink tank for storing waste ink therein. In the platen, there are formed a grooved hole into which ink deviated off an edge of the recording sheet is to be discarded; and a waste tank guide path adjacent to the ink-discarding grooved hole. The waste tank guide path is connected to the ink-discarding grooved hole and a waste tank inlet port. An ink-absorbing member made of a material having a high void ratio, such as a spongy polyurethane, is attached inside the waste ink guide path. Hence, ink having flowed into the waste ink guide path through the ink-discarding grooved hole is absorbed into the ink-absorbing member, and guided to the waste ink tank inlet port, to thus be stored inside the waste ink tank (refer to JP-A-2003-211706).
There are also inkjet printers using so-called pigment ink. As compared with dye ink, the pigment ink has exhibits lower permeability with respect to an ink adsorption layer on the surface of a recording sheet. Hence, as compared with the dye ink, the pigment ink also exhibits lower permeability with respect to the ink-absorbing member provided inside the waste ink guide path. Therefore, in an inkjet printer using the pigment ink, the ink-absorbing member provided inside the waste ink guide path must be made of a material exhibiting higher ink absorption. However, since an ink-absorbing member having high ink absorption simultaneously has a high ink retention capability, such an ink is likely to remain, and is less easily conveyed to the waste ink tank inlet port. Accordingly, a portion of the pigment ink may remain inside the ink-absorbing member or on the ink-absorbing member on the way of being guided to the waste ink tank inlet port.